2022年5月9日星期一

Monday Briefing: Ukrainians report fierce fighting as Russia marks Soviet WW2 victory

Monday, May 9, 2022

by Linda Noakes

Hello

Here's what you need to know.

Putin channels victory over Hitler to spur the Russian army, the son of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos is tipped to win the Philippines presidency, and stocks stumble on new growth fears

Today's biggest stories

Russian sailors march past an honor guard during a military parade in Red Square in central Moscow, Russia May 9, 2022. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

RUSSIA AND UKRAINE AT WAR

Russian President Vladimir Putin told his armed forces they were fighting for their country at a parade of Russian firepower in Moscow while his troops stepped up their 10-week-old assault on Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials said heavy fighting was underway in eastern Ukraine and warned people to take cover from expected missile strikes as Moscow marked the anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two. Here are quotes from Putin's televised speech.

Russian satellite television menus were altered to show viewers in Moscow messages about the war in Ukraine: "You have blood on your hands", according to screenshots obtained by Reuters. The slogans appeared just before the Victory Day parade on Red Square.

An escalating Russian assault on Ukraine's infrastructure, aimed in part at paralyzing rail deliveries of Western-supplied arms, has so far failed - making state-owned Ukrainian Railways a leading symbol of the country's resilience.

Group of Seven nations committed to ban or phase out imports of Russian oil and the United States unveiled sanctions against Gazprombank executives and other businesses. President Joe Biden joined G7 leaders in a video conference call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to discuss the war, support for Ukraine, and additional measures against Moscow.

Here's what you need to know about the conflict right now

Presidential candidate Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr., the son and namesake of the late dictator, waves after casting his vote in the national elections in Batac, Ilocos Norte, Philippines, May 9, 2022. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez


WORLD


Philippine voters streamed to polling stations, with prospects high of a once-unthinkable return to power for the Marcos family, 36 years after strongman Ferdinand Marcos was ousted in a "people power" uprising. We explain what's at stake in the election.

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa offered his resignation amid the island nation's worst economic crisis since independence, a government official said. Supporters of the ruling party earlier stormed a major protest site in the country's commercial capital Colombo, attacking anti-government demonstrators and clashing with police who used tear gas and water cannon to drive them back.

China's two biggest cities tightened COVID curbs on their residents, raising new frustration and even questions about the legality of its uncompromising battle with the virus. We look at how Shanghai's COVID crisis has put the political spotlight on a key ally of President Xi Jinping.

More than 100,000 Lebanese living abroad cast ballots for parliamentary elections, many backing political newcomers after the worst crisis since Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war led to widespread poverty and a wave of emigration. As a rival sits out the election, here's how Hezbollah could fill the void.

Britain's Northern Ireland minister will urge leaders of the province's political parties to form a new post-election power-sharing government, a challenge made more difficult by unresolved Brexit issues. Irish nationalists in Belfast toasted Sinn Fein's historic election victory while pro-British neighbors quietly fumed, but there was little sign the weekend's political earthquake was about to rock the once-troubled city.

U.S.

With the U.S. Supreme Court expected to strike down the right to an abortion, the next legal fault line is already taking shape as lawmakers from anti-abortion states explore ways to take the radical step of extending bans to states where the procedure remains legal.

An Alabama law that makes it a felony to provide gender-affirming medical treatment to transgender youth went into effect while a federal judge weighs whether to grant a motion to put a temporary hold on it.

The Republican-leaning states of Nebraska and West Virginia will hold primary elections tomorrow for the U.S. House of Representatives and other offices. Here are the notable races that could help shape the midterms.

Firefighters in New Mexico begged holdout residents of a mountain village to evacuate, before the United States' largest active wildfire races up a valley that is their only way out.

Celebrity chef Mario Batali goes on trial today over allegations that he forcibly groped and kissed a woman in the only criminal case to result from multiple #MeToo-era claims of sexual harassment and assault that helped fuel his downfall.

BUSINESS

Stocks fell again and the dollar rocketed to a new two-decade high as worries about higher interest rates and a tightened lockdown in Shanghai deepened investors' fears that the global economy is headed for a slowdown. China's export growth slowed to single digits, the weakest in almost two years, while imports barely changed in April.

Already sitting on double-digit losses this year, stock market investors must brace for more, as the realization sinks in that the U.S. Federal Reserve intends to tighten financial conditions to get on top of red-hot inflation.

Hyundai plans to announce a new electric-vehicle manufacturing plant in the United States and has been in discussions to build a facility in Georgia, near existing plants for the Hyundai and Kia brands.

IKEA retailer Ingka Group is spending $3.2 billion through 2023 on new and existing stores, much of it to modify its trademark out-of-town outlets so they can double up as e-commerce distribution centers. Tolga Oncu, retail manager at the group which owns most IKEA stores worldwide, told Reuters the money would be spent across all regions, though about a third is earmarked for London.

For decades, a cash-filled envelope was how hundreds of thousands of Spaniards working without legal contracts in tourism, agriculture or construction collected their salaries. COVID, however, may finally be putting paid to the 'sobre' - accelerating a six-year-long crackdown on the shadow economy and providing a welcome boost to the country's public finances.

Quote of the day

"In the critical raw material restaurant, China is sitting eating its dessert, and the rest of the world is in the taxi reading the menu"

Julian Kettle

Senior vice president for metals and mining at consultancy Wood MacKenzie

Kicking the China habit: South Korea hunts tungsten treasure

Video of the day

Jill Biden makes unannounced visit to Ukraine

The U.S. first lady shared flowers and a hug with her Ukrainian counterpart Olena Zelenska.

And finally…

Ncuti Gatwa to be the new 'Doctor Who'

Gatwa will be the first Black actor to play the lead role in the British sci-fi series, taking over from Jodie Whittaker as the 14th incarnation of the Time Lord.

More from Reuters

COVID The Great Reboot Sustainable Business Legal News Breakingviews

Thanks for spending part of your day with us.

Share your thoughts

You are receiving this email because you signed up for newsletters from Reuters. No longer want to hear from us? Unsubscribe from The Reuters Daily Briefing.

Terms, conditions, and privacy statement

© 2022 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.
3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036

没有评论:

发表评论